Tearing

September 28, 2016

The lacrimal system, often collectively referred to as the tear duct, helps drain tears away from the eyes. When the normal flow of tears is interrupted, the result is often excessive tearing, which is commonly referred to as a watery eye or runny eye. Mild tearing is little more than an annoyance, but severe tearing can affect your ability to go about your daily activities and daily life.

There are many causes of tearing and the most common reasons are not structural defects in the lacrimal system (tear ducts). However, when the reason for tearing or water eye is due to a non-functional tear duct, Dr. Vickers offers multiple surgical options for restoring normal function to the lacrimal system to reduce or eliminate the tearing.

If the canal is simply narrowed, there are options for widening the canal to restore property function of the tear ducts. If the ducts are completely blocked, Dr. Vickers offers a surgery, called a dacrocystorhinostomy or DCR. It is an outpatient procedure which involves creating a new canal between the tear duct and your nose. This bypasses any blockage below your tear sac and allows tears to drain normally again, eliminating the watery or runny eye.